eccentric, aggressive, racist,
and rash in his responses because he is short-tempered and undiplomatic"

l

PA Ambassador to the UN:

If Trump moves the embassy to Jerusalem,

that is an "aggression" and "an attack"

l

PLO official:

"What we heard before the elections

is not what we will hear after the elections"

Nan Jacques Zilberdik

Following the election of Donald Trump as the next US president, Palestinian leaders and others have reacted to the choice of the American people and voiced their opinions and expectations of Trump.

Deputy Secretary of the Fatah Central Committee Jibril Rajoub commented on Trump's "true" nature, categorizing him as a "Zionist and racist":

"Regarding [US President-elect Donald] Trump, I think that even before he won, he revealed his true face, Zionist and racist, supporting and adopting the Israeli right-wing and racist policy. In my opinion, his predecessor [US President Barack Obama] is not better than him, even though at the beginning he tried to present himself in a different way."

The PA ambassador to the UN "warned Trump" against carrying out his campaign promise to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem, considering it an "aggression" and "attack":

"Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour said that if [US] President-elect Donald Trump decides to implement his promise to transfer the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the Palestinians 'will make life miserable' for the US at the UN institutions. 'If they attack us by transferring the embassy to Jerusalem, that will constitute a violation of a [UN] Security Council resolution, and [UN] General Assembly Resolution 181 (i.e., the UN Partition Plan), which was drafted by the US. A step such as this would mean a revelation of aggression towards us..."

In the same context, Secretary-General of the PLO Executive Committee Saeb Erekat expressed confidence that "what we heard before the elections is not what we will hear after the elections":

"The American Embassy will not be transferred to Jerusalem under any circumstances, as that would destroy the American interests in the Middle East, the Islamic world, and many countries around the world. I believe that the US position regarding the settlements has not changed since 1968, since it said that they are illegitimate and illegal, and [that] they are an obstacle to peace. The US rejects the annexation of Jerusalem and considers it illegitimate. Therefore, I believe that what we heard before the elections is not what we will hear after the elections."

[Official PA radio station The Voice of Palestine, Nov. 9, 2016]

The official PA daily printed a cartoon that commented on Trump's outspoken stance against immigrants, showing Trump saying: "No to immigrants," and an American Indian responding by picking Trump up by his collar and saying: "Then come on, [get] out." [Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 14, 2016]

A regular columnist for the same PA daily, Omar Hilmi Al-Ghoul, wrote at length about Donald Trump and the expected consequences of his election. About Trump himself he stated that he is "a problematic man," commenting that his election reveals a serious "racist trend":

"Forty-fifth US President[-elect Donald Trump] is a most problematic man. [He is] eccentric, aggressive, racist, and rash in his responses because he is short-tempered and undiplomatic in his treatment of people, groups, and states... His election revealed the depth of the racist trend within the US."

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 12, 2016]

The same columnist disregarded both candidate Hilary Clinton and Trump as "examples" not "befitting the status of the US," and concluded that of the two, "Trump was the worse." Al-Ghoul described several negative characteristics of Trump as the reason for this, but nevertheless concluded that Trump was "courageous and adventurous like no other":

"Even though neither of the two [US presidential] candidates constitutes an example befitting the status of the US, [US President-elect Donald] Trump was the worse of the two candidates. This is because publicly and in his meetings with his supporters in various states in the US, he declared rogue positions, such as:

1. He is a racist, and he will establish a separation wall on the US-Mexico border in order to prevent the arrival of immigrants from Mexico and the Latin American countries. Likewise, he emphasized his hatred of Muslims, Africans, and colored people in general.

2. His misogyny and sexual harassment of women. Ten women have admitted to this and lodged a complaint against him.

3. He declared that he will expel immigrants who do not have official residency permits.

4. He announced that on the first day of his reign he will cancel the decisions made by [US] President [Barack] Obama, and particularly the health insurance for broad sectors of Americans.

5. He promised the Israelis, rudely and with blatant bias towards Israel, that he will transfer the American Embassy to Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the State of Palestine. Likewise, he emphasized that he will give all support to the Israeli ethnic cleansing state...

Nonetheless, it must be objectively admitted that Trump was courageous and adventurous like no other."

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 10, 2016]

Noting that Trump "clearly leans towards unprecedented support of Israel," Al-Ghoul stated that this might "lead to unprecedented responses in the Palestinian arena." Al-Ghoul advocated that Palestinians hurry to establish a relationship with Trump:

"The personality of the new president is not based on guidelines and defined principles, and with him everything can change other than the support for rebellious and law-breaking Israel.

This must cause us to formulate different scenarios for dealing with the dramatic developments as a result of President Trump's election, because the current policy will not be the same policy after he takes the seat of power in the White House. Whoever thinks [it will remain the same] is wrong. Therefore, we must open a direct dialogue with him now, immediately, even before he actually takes office on Jan. 20, 2017."

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 13, 2016]

Secretary-General of the Palestinian Liberation Front and PLO Executive Committee member Dr. Wasel Abu Yusuf did not expect the election of Trump would bring any change for Palestinians: "Trump's victory will not add anything new to the complicity between the US and Israel." He stated that "the bias of the American Administration in favor of the Israeli occupation state is constant and not connected to the victory of [US President-elect Donald] Trump," and that there has been "an obvious bias in favor of the occupation and the covering of its crimes by the American parties throughout the years of the Democratic and Republican administrations." [Donia Al-Watan, independent Palestinian news agency, Nov. 10, 2016]

Fatah Central Committee member Muhammad Shtayyeh was more hopeful, interpreting Trump's and Russian president Putin's apparent "admiration" for each other as something that "could create understanding between the two world powers," and thereby ultimately "influence Palestine":

"He [Trump] shows a great amount of admiration for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin... Putin also admires Trump. There is a relationship between them, and this could create understanding between the two world powers - Russia and the US. If there will be such an understanding, it is possible that a kind of new Yalta Conference (post-World War II conference in 1945 between the US, the UK, and Russia on reorganizing Europe -Ed.) could be held in the [Middle East] region, and this would influence the situation in Syria, Iraq, and Libya. We hope that if there would be international understandings on the issue that would positively influence Palestine."

[Official PA TV, Topic of the Day, Nov. 9, 2016]

PA Chairman Abbas expressed the same expectation of Russian influence on Trump:

"[PA] President Mahmoud Abbas... expressed his confidence that Russia will have an active and supporting role in every political process in our region... He said: 'We have followed the elections process for over a year. What interests us is what Trump will say after he reaches the White House. What we demand of him is that the US will accept the solution of two states living side by side in security and stability, and that it will act to implement it.'"

The following are longer excerpts of the statements mentioned above as well as additional statements by Palestinian leaders:

Headline: "[PA] President: Our recognition of Israel cannot be for free, and it must implement the agreements that have been signed"

"[PA] President Mahmoud Abbas emphasized that 'Our recognition of the State of Israel cannot be for free, for at the same time there needs to be Israeli recognition of the State of Palestine.' The president yesterday [Nov. 11, 2016], during a press conference with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in the city of Jericho, expressed his confidence that Russia will have an active and supporting role in every political process in our region...

The president said that [US President-elect Donald] Trump's victory in the presidency is 'an American issue.' Likewise, he said: 'We have followed the elections process for over a year. What interests us is what Trump will say after he reaches the White House. What we demand of him is that the US will accept the solution of two states living side by side in security and stability, and that it will act to implement it.'"

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 12, 2016]

Official PA radio station The Voice of Palestine program The Day's Events

Secretary-General of the PLO Executive Committee and Fatah Central Committee member Saeb Erekat: "We will make every possible effort with the next American administration and with the European Union, and especially France, to convene an international peace summit (i.e., the French Initiative) that will initiate a credible and meaningful peace process that will lead to the drying up of the quagmire of the Israeli occupation which has become a source of the evil of this region in general...

The American Embassy will not be transferred to Jerusalem under any circumstances, as that would destroy the American interests in the Middle East, the Islamic world, and many countries around the world. I believe that the US position regarding the settlements has not changed since 1968, since it said that they are illegitimate and illegal, and [that] they are an obstacle to peace. The US rejects the annexation of Jerusalem and considers it illegitimate. Therefore, I believe that what we heard before the elections is not what we will hear after the elections."

[Official PA radio station The Voice of Palestine, Nov. 9, 2016]

The French Initiative - A peace initiative proposed by the French PM Hollande's government in 2015 aimed at reviving peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. A one-day summit was held in Paris on June 3, 2016, attended by foreign ministers of the US, EU countries, and several Arab countries, for the purpose of advancing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. At the end of the summit, participants issued a joint communique supporting a negotiated two-state solution and proposing an international conference before the end of the year. Israelis and Palestinians did not participate in this first summit, the purpose of which was to establish a framework for renewed negotiations between the two.

Headline: "The ambassador of Palestine to the UN warned Trump against transferring the American Embassy to Jerusalem: We would consider that 'aggression'"

"Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour said that if [US] President-elect Donald Trump decides to implement his promise to transfer the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the Palestinians 'will make life miserable' for the US at the UN institutions.

During his participation in a conference at a research institute in Washington, he added: 'If they attack us by transferring the embassy to Jerusalem, that will constitute a violation of a [UN] Security Council resolution, and [UN] General Assembly Resolution 181 (i.e., the UN Partition Plan), which was drafted by the US. A step such as this would mean a revelation of aggression towards us, and if they do this, no one will be able to blame us if we activate all of the weapons at our disposal in the UN in order to defend ourselves, and we have many weapons at the UN.'

Mansour said: 'The Palestinian response to transferring the embassy to Jerusalem will not be passing a resolution at the Security Council, because the US could veto it, but we can make their lives miserable every day by forcing them to veto our request to join the UN as a permanent member state.'

Mansour presented a series of response measures that the Palestinians could turn to, such as convening emergency meetings of the Security Council, or what he called 'reopening Pandora's box,' regarding the [UN] International Court of Justice ruling on the separation fence or the settlements.

Mansour said: 'If the American administration wants to violate international law, it will commit an illegal act. I hope that they will not do that.'"

[Amad, independent Palestinian news agency, Nov. 13, 2016]

Op-ed by Omar Hilmi Al-Ghoul, regular columnist of the official PA daily

Headline: "[Donald] Trump's election is the result of a crisis"

"Forty-fifth US President[-elect Donald Trump] is a most problematic man. [He is] eccentric, aggressive, racist, and rash in his responses because he is short-tempered and undiplomatic in his treatment of people, groups, and states. During his election campaign he made inappropriate and diplomatically unwise statements regarding the Persian Gulf states, Iran, Mexico, and other states... and in this way, even before he entered the White House, he got himself into disagreements with these states and others, including Europe, which expressed its displeasure at his victory, so much so that senior European officials called to build a joint security force and not to gamble and rely on the US...

His election revealed the depth of the racist trend within the US. This will contribute to the escalation of the waves of hatred against blacks and people of color in general, including Arabs, Chinese, [American] Indians, Mexicans, and Hispanics. Likewise, this will again raise the issue of racism in a severe manner within the US and on the global level...

The general and catastrophic economic crisis that Uncle Sam's country has experienced since September 2008 has not yet ended. It still exists, albeit at a relatively lower level. Trump's election is the result of it (i.e., the economic crisis), and of the bankruptcy of the American values and America's status as the sole leader of the world. Currently, it has competitors, and not only one competitor...

The foreseeable future foretells serious consequences regarding the fate of President [-elect] Donald Trump. Whatever the results may be, the new president is a symbol of a deep crisis, and his taking office will ignite many crises, and the coming days will bring the answers with them."

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 12, 2016]

"Even though neither of the two [US presidential] candidates constitutes an example befitting the status of the US, [US President-elect Donald] Trump was the worse of the two candidates. This is because publicly and in his meetings with his supporters in various states in the US, he declared rogue positions, such as:

He is a racist, and he will establish a separation wall on the US-Mexico border in order to prevent the arrival of immigrants from Mexico and the Latin American countries. Likewise, he emphasized his hatred of Muslims, Africans, and colored people in general.

His misogyny and sexual harassment of women. Ten women have admitted to this and lodged a complaint against him.

He declared that he will expel immigrants who do not have official residency permits.

He announced that on the first day of his reign he will cancel the decisions made by [US] President [Barack] Obama, and particularly the health insurance for broad sectors of Americans.

He promised the Israelis, rudely and with blatant bias towards Israel, that he will transfer the American Embassy to Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the State of Palestine. Likewise, he emphasized that he will give all support to the Israeli ethnic cleansing state - more than the support of the Obama administration, which was greater than the support of every administration that preceded it. This is in order to impose its (i.e., Israel's) political vision on the Palestinian leadership, in a manner consistent with Israel's interests and choice...

Nonetheless, it must be objectively admitted that Trump was courageous and adventurous like no other, so much so that he announced that he would continue his election campaign alone if the [Republican] party decided to remove its sponsorship from him. This proved his determination and ability to deal with challenges. Likewise, he has his own financial means...

Even though Trump has made a good number of rogue, childish, and racist statements, those decisions were part of the campaign. Whatever their significance may be, their background and influence on his victory, they will change after he enters the White House and will not persist. This was clear in principle in his victory speech yesterday [Nov. 9, 2016], in which he was careful to address all sectors of the American people. He emphasized that he will be [the president] of the entire people and not just of his camp and supporters. The observers hope that the new US president will be honest in his declared direction after the victory, that he will act in accordance with the magnitude of the global events and developments, and particularly the Palestinian problem, and that he will act for its solution in accordance with the sources of authority and resolutions of international institutions, on the basis of the two-state solution within the borders of June 4, 1967. This [should be] in a manner consistent with the interests of all the peoples and forces in the region, and primarily the American interests, which will not be isolated from the angry responses if they continue to swim in the Israeli extremist and peace threatening quagmire."

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 10, 2016]

Headline: "Majdalani: We respect the will of the peoples in electing their presidents"

"Secretary-General of the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front and PLO Executive Committee member Ahmed Majdalani said: 'We respect the will of the peoples in electing their presidents. We have no problem with any president in the world, in return for respecting the will of our people [to realize] its right to self-determination, the establishment of its independent state, and the ending of the occupation on its land.'

In response to Donald Trump's victory in the US presidential elections, Majdalani added: 'The next American administration must deal seriously with the Palestinian issue and the implementation of the two-state solution, to which the previous Republican administrations were committed. It must not place obstacles before the international initiatives to achieve an arrangement in the region, and it must stop leaning in favor of the occupation state.'

He noted that the path to achieving security, peace, and stability in the Middle East region is through a solution to the Palestinian problem, through a just and comprehensive peace, an end to the occupation in accordance with the resolutions of the international institutions, and the establishment of the Palestinian state whose capital is East Jerusalem.

Majdalani called on President Trump, now that he is in the position of direct and highest responsibility, to have his promises during the election campaign to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem simply remain campaign promises, and not a policy of his administration regarding the Middle East."

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 10, 2016]

Official PA TV program Topic of the Day, hosting Fatah Central Committee member Muhammad Shtayyeh

Fatah Central Committee member Muhammad Shtayyeh: "Politically speaking, you need to work with any president, Hillary [Clinton] or [Donald] Trump. This is the choice of the American people and we will act accordingly, and [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas sent him (i.e., Trump) a telegram of congratulation as President of the US...

He (i.e., Trump) shows a great amount of admiration for [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, and we understand - regardless of rumors and stories - that there was a sort of game [between them]. Putin also admires Trump. There is a relationship between them, and this could create understanding between the two world powers - Russia and the US. If there will be such an understanding, it is possible that a kind of new Yalta Conference (post-World War II conference in 1945 between the US, the UK, and Russia on reorganizing Europe -Ed.) could be held in the [Middle East] region, and this would influence the situation in Syria, Iraq, and Libya. We hope that if there would be international understandings on the issue that would positively influence Palestine."

[Official PA TV, Topic of the Day, Nov. 9, 2016]

Excerpt of an op-ed by Omar Hilmi Al-Ghoul, regular columnist of the official PA daily

The columnist notes the Israeli right's satisfaction with US President-elect Donald Trump's victory, but adds:

Headline: "Israel and Trump"

"However, there is a trend in Israel that is not optimistic and is not pinning hopes on the policy of [US] President[-elect Donald] Trump... out of concern that the man will turn against Israel. But this does not cancel the general trend of Trump and his Vice [President-elect Mike] Pence, which clearly leans towards unprecedented support of Israel, which is liable to lead to unprecedented responses in the Palestinian arena.

This is because apparently, the personality of the new president is not based on guidelines and defined principles, and with him everything can change other than the support for rebellious and law-breaking Israel.

This must cause us to formulate different scenarios for dealing with the dramatic developments as a result of President Trump's election, because the current policy will not be the same policy after he takes the seat of power in the White House. Whoever thinks [it will remain the same] is wrong. Therefore, we must open a direct dialogue with him now, immediately, even before he actually takes office on Jan. 20, 2017. Likewise, we must extricate by force the UN resolutions that we can now (i.e., work to pass anti-Israeli UN resolutions before Trump takes office -Ed.)."

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 13, 2016]

Headline: "Abu Yusuf: Trump's victory will not add anything new to the complicity between the US and Israel"

"Secretary-General of the Palestinian Liberation Front and PLO Executive Committee member Dr. Wasel Abu Yusuf said that the bias of the American Administration in favor of the Israeli occupation state is constant and not connected to the victory of [US President-elect Donald] Trump or [Democratic presidential candidate Hillary] Clinton. Abu Yusuf emphasized in a press interview that 'The Democratic and Republican parties have a constant policy regarding the Palestinian cause.'

Likewise, he emphasized that when talking about the Palestinian cause in the American corridors, the talk is about an obvious bias in favor of the occupation and the covering of its crimes by the American parties throughout the years of the Democratic and Republican administrations.

He said that the failure to advance in the matter of negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides is caused by the American sponsorship of these discussions, which has been characterized for years by American complicity with the occupation's policies. He noted that the victory of the Republican party candidate, Donald Trump, does not add anything new to this complicity.

In addition, he noted that the American administration will continue the political, economic, and military aid to the occupation, and that Trump's term of office will not be worse than that of [US President Barack] Obama.

Abu Yusuf added that Trump's previous promises to transfer the American Embassy to occupied Jerusalem have been made before by American [presidential] candidates, who did not succeed in implementing them. He clarified that all of the US presidential candidates focus on strengthening the connection with the occupation and attempt to win the Jewish vote in the US by making various promises."

[Donia Al-Watan, independent Palestinian news agency, Nov. 10, 2016]

Headline: "Khaled: The statements of the American vice president-elect are banal and provocative"

"PLO Executive Committee member [and member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine's (DFLP) Political Bureau] Tayseer Khaled described the statements made by Mike Pence, the vice [president] of American President-elect Donald Trump, regarding the relations between his country and Israel, as banal and unworthy of a superpower such as the US.

In the statements of Trump's vice [president] it was said that he and his president, Trump, 'understand that Israel is not hated by our enemies for her mistakes, but rather for what it is doing right, as it is defending itself with an army of citizens who defend their nation in battles in a decent and humane manner. Israel's struggle is the struggle of the US, and the US stands by Israel's side and supports its just cause. Israel's fate is also the fate of the US, and the support of Israel and standing by its side constitute a great honor; and occupied Jerusalem is the eternal homeland of the Jewish people,' according to him. (This quote is actually a paraphrase of parts of Pence's statement, and some of the paraphrase, such as describing Jerusalem as "occupied," is incorrect. See note below for Pence's actual statement. -Ed.)

Khaled added that if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or the rest of the leaders of his right-wing coalition in Israel needed to assess the relations between the US and Israel, they would not reach the banality reached by the American vice president-elect, and it is possible that they would be more careful in describing these relations. This is so as not to offend the sensibilities of the American citizens and of the American public opinion, as some of its circles believe that due to its criminal acts, its daily violations of the rights of the Palestinian citizen under the occupation, and its aggressive policy of settlement and expansion, Israel at the moment constitutes a burden to the US, which differs from all the countries of the world in its blind bias in favor of the State of Israel, and treats it as an unusual state that is above the law.

Khaled called on the Palestinian leadership not to be silent and to submit an official protest against statements and positions of this kind so that the banal and despicable flattery of the State of Israel and its leaders, whose hands are stained with the blood of the Palestinian people, will not become policy carried out by senior officials in the American administration. This [would be] at the expense of the rights and interests of the Palestinian people, and at the expense of its daily suffering from the crimes of the occupation and its policies that are based on aggression, colonialist settlement, violations of human rights, Judaization, transfer (i.e., of Palestinians out of Israel), ethnic cleansing, and racism.

Likewise, he demanded that the Arab states stand alongside the Palestinian people and express solidarity with it in light of these positions, which express an unprecedented denial of international law and the principles of human justice, and a blunt bias in favor of the policy of aggression, the law of the jungle, racism, and apartheid in their most criminal forms, according to Khaled."

"Shalom, Israel Republicans. I'm Governor Pence. It's a great honor for Donald Trump and I to stand together with you tonight in support of Israel, and I am deeply humbled to be speaking to you at this historic time with all of you there in that special holy place of Jerusalem, the eternal home of the Jewish people. Over the course of this campaign many people have asked me why our ticket stands so strongly with Israel. Donald Trump and I stand with Israel because Israel's fight is our fight, because Israel's cause is our cause. We stand with Israel for the same reasons good people everywhere stand with Israel. We stand with Israel because her cause is just, because her values are our values, and because her fate is our fate. Israel is not just our strongest ally in the region. As I've said for so many years, Israel is our most cherished ally in the world. Currently Israel lives under the ominous shadow of a threatening neighbor who seeks to wipe her off the face of the earth. Yet Donald Trump and I understand that Israel is not hated by her enemies for what she does wrong, but rather for what she does right. Like the United States, Israel is hated by terrorists and the failed states that support them. She is hated by too many progressives because she is successful and her people are free. There's one more thing that Donald Trump and I understand and will never shrink from proclaiming. Like the United States, Israel defends herself with an army of citizen soldiers, who fight their nation's battles with decency, humanity, and restraint. As Israel shows the world how to turn scarcity into plenty, sickness into health, poverty into wealth, as Israel takes the curses, the slanders, and the lies of the world and turns them into blessings, the real question is how could any good person not stand with Israel. Let the word go forth from Jerusalem, the eternal undivided capital of the Jewish people and the Jewish state, that Donald Trump and I are proud to stand with Israel. The American people are proud to stand with Israel. And should Donald Trump and I have the privilege of serving this great nation, if the world knows nothing else, the world will know this: America stands with Israel. Together let us all pray that God continues to bless Israel and all her citizens, Jewish, Muslim, and Christian, with life, hope, and peace. May God bless you all. May God bless Israel and may God continue to bless the Unites States of America."